epidemic cerebro-spinal fever

1
826 a matter in which the whole Empire is concerned and the sooner the utmost publicity is given to the scope of the con- ference and the manner in which it is to be conducted the easier it will be to give satisfaction to our guests, not only socially but also in forwarding the objects for which they are coming to visit us. In connexion with the conference an exhibition of ambulance material is to be arranged and we should be glad to have some information as to this to place before our readers. BILL FOR PASTEURISING ALL MILK SOLD IN NEW YORK CITY. ACCORDING to the New York Medical Record of March 2nd a Bill providing for the pasteurisation of all milk sold in New York City has been introduced into the New York State Assembly. By the operation of the proposed measure the dealing in, and selling of, any milk in New York City which has not been pasteurised would bring upon the parties handling the milk imprisonment for not less than six months or a fine of .fo100 or both. It is provided by the Bill that the Commissioner of Health shall designate pasteurising stations at which every quart of milk taken into the city must be put through the process of pasteurisation and that the city must construct such stations. Following the process a stamp will be put upon the milk receptacle by the health authorities, whereupon the dairy and milk com- panies and any others whose milk has been subjected to the process may take their milk and deliver it. The Bill also makes provision for the confiscation and destruction of any milk found to be unpasteurised. Authority is also given for the appointment of a large number of additional milk inspectors. The Bill is very sweeping in its character and its introduction may be said to be due to the vigorous crusade in favour of pasteurising milk which has been carried on for some time by the lay journals of New York city. ------- EPIDEMIC CEREBRO-SPINAL FEVER. CASES of cerebro-spinal fever continue to be reported from various localities, but there is no epidemic prevalence except in Glasgow and Belfast. On March 13th the medical officer of health of Chelsea reported to the borough council that a child in Ives-street, Chelsea, had been attacked by the disease and had been removed to a hospital. A fatal case has occurred at Little Corbey, midway between Brampton and Carlisle. Cases have also been reported at Tollesbury on the Essex coast, in Shropshire, and at Bolsover in Derbyshire. In Glasgow on March 15th there were 112 cases under observation as compared with 101 on March 8th; as men- tioned in THE LANCET of March 16th, p. 753, the daily announcement of the cases notified and the deaths has been discontinued, but on March 19th the medical officer of health issued a statement showing that during the past fortnight there had been 93 cases and 55 deaths, as compared with 90 cases and 60 deaths in the preceding fortnight. There have been two fatal cases in Greenock, four in Kirkintilloch, one at Kilwinnirg, and one in the Cluny district of Aberdeen- shire. The Registrar-General’s returns state that during February there were 140 deaths attributed to the disease in the eight principal towns of Scotland, being 66 more than in January. Of these 111 were registered in Glasgow, 13 in Edinburgh, 8 in Paisley, 5 in Leith, and 3 in Dundee. In Belfast the total number of cases notified up to the present time is 185, and there have been 104 deaths. In Dublin there has been no new case since March 6th ; in all there have been 15 cases with 11 deaths, and on March 15th there were four patients under treatment. THE Department of Public Health of Queensland, in a bulletin dated Feb. 2nd, states that 3 more cases i of plague have been notified since the date of the . former bulletin, Jan. 26th. Case 16 was inadvertently i omitted from ’the last bulletin and in proper sequence r of cases from the New Farm area it should be r numbered case 10a. The patient was a female, aged L 14 years, coming from James-street, New Farm, :and being a sister of patients Nos. 6 and 7 and a daughter of the patient No. 15. She was attacked on Jan. 25th with bubonic plague and is progressing favourably. The 3 cases admitted during the week-viz,, 17, 18, and 19-were 3 males, aged respectively 49, 42, and 52 years. They were all attacked between Jan. 24th and 26th and were members of the cleansing gang working in the infected area. They were all employed in removing produce from Garnett’s Store and probably contracted the disease from infected dust while engaged in cleansing. During the week two of the patients died. With regard to Port Douglas no further cases have occurred since the last bulletin. As regards the Mauritius a telegram from the Governor received at the Colonial Office on March 15th states that 1 case of plague was reported during the week ended March 14th, and there was 1 death from the disease. H.R.H. Prince Christian, the Danish Minister, the Portu- guese Minister, the Greek Minister, the Swedish Minister, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Archbishop of Westminster, and the Chief Rabbi will support H. R. H, the Prince of Wales at a dinner, at which he has graciously consented to preside, to be held at the Hotel Cecil on May 14th in aid of the National Sanatorium for Workers Suffering from Tuberculosis. Mr. Alfred de Roth- schild will kindly lend his band for the occasion. THE Queen has graciously intimated to the Lord Mayor that she will open "The Queen’s F6te " in aid of cripple children at the Mansion House on Thursday, June 13th. Her Majesty has also consented to receive purses from children on the occasion in behalf of the fund, THE King has been pleased to appoint Mr. William Henry Power, C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.S., Medical Officer of the Local Government Board, to be chairman of the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis in the room of Sir Michael Foster, K.C.B., deceased. ____ THE Pirogoff Society of Russia is agitating for permission to call a pan-Russian congress of Russian medical men for May 8th next. - Dr. F. M. Sandwith has been elected lecturer in physic in Gresham College in succession to the late Dr. E. Symes- Thompson. MILITARY MEDICAL VICTIMS TO THE PLAGUE IN CRONSTADT.-The Novoe Vpeiitya reports that on March 2nd Dr. Schreiber of the llth Eastern Siberian Rifles attached to the Military Medical Academy, died from plague which he had contracted in the fort "Emperor Alexander I." at Cronstadt. His remains were incinerated and will be kept in an urn at the fort named. It has been found necessary to state that he was carefully nursed throughout his illness, the contrary having been reported in the press. Unfortu- nately, although it was hoped that the case was an isolated one, the information is now forthcoming that Dr. Podlevsky of the 3rd Caucasian Rifle Battalion, who was also attached to the Military Medical Academy and was engaged in the anti-plague serum laboratory in the fort named at Cronstadt, has been attacked by the same disease, presumably, says the above journal, whilst conducting the necropsy on the body of Dr. Schreiber. The latest intelligence from the fort is that Dr. Podlevsky is improving in health ; his tempera- ture was falling and he was fully conscious.

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Page 1: EPIDEMIC CEREBRO-SPINAL FEVER

826

a matter in which the whole Empire is concerned and thesooner the utmost publicity is given to the scope of the con-ference and the manner in which it is to be conducted theeasier it will be to give satisfaction to our guests, not onlysocially but also in forwarding the objects for which theyare coming to visit us. In connexion with the conference anexhibition of ambulance material is to be arranged and weshould be glad to have some information as to this to placebefore our readers.

____

BILL FOR PASTEURISING ALL MILK SOLD INNEW YORK CITY.

ACCORDING to the New York Medical Record of March 2nda Bill providing for the pasteurisation of all milk sold inNew York City has been introduced into the New York StateAssembly. By the operation of the proposed measure thedealing in, and selling of, any milk in New York City whichhas not been pasteurised would bring upon the partieshandling the milk imprisonment for not less than six monthsor a fine of .fo100 or both. It is provided by the Bill that theCommissioner of Health shall designate pasteurising stationsat which every quart of milk taken into the city must beput through the process of pasteurisation and that thecity must construct such stations. Following the processa stamp will be put upon the milk receptacle bythe health authorities, whereupon the dairy and milk com-panies and any others whose milk has been subjected to theprocess may take their milk and deliver it. The Bill also

makes provision for the confiscation and destruction of anymilk found to be unpasteurised. Authority is also given forthe appointment of a large number of additional milk

inspectors. The Bill is very sweeping in its character andits introduction may be said to be due to the vigorouscrusade in favour of pasteurising milk which has been

carried on for some time by the lay journals of New Yorkcity.

-------

EPIDEMIC CEREBRO-SPINAL FEVER.

CASES of cerebro-spinal fever continue to be reportedfrom various localities, but there is no epidemic prevalenceexcept in Glasgow and Belfast. On March 13th the medicalofficer of health of Chelsea reported to the borough councilthat a child in Ives-street, Chelsea, had been attacked by thedisease and had been removed to a hospital. A fatal case hasoccurred at Little Corbey, midway between Brampton andCarlisle. Cases have also been reported at Tollesbury on theEssex coast, in Shropshire, and at Bolsover in Derbyshire.In Glasgow on March 15th there were 112 cases under

observation as compared with 101 on March 8th; as men-tioned in THE LANCET of March 16th, p. 753, the dailyannouncement of the cases notified and the deaths has been

discontinued, but on March 19th the medical officer of healthissued a statement showing that during the past fortnightthere had been 93 cases and 55 deaths, as compared with90 cases and 60 deaths in the preceding fortnight. Therehave been two fatal cases in Greenock, four in Kirkintilloch,one at Kilwinnirg, and one in the Cluny district of Aberdeen-shire. The Registrar-General’s returns state that duringFebruary there were 140 deaths attributed to the disease inthe eight principal towns of Scotland, being 66 more than inJanuary. Of these 111 were registered in Glasgow, 13 inEdinburgh, 8 in Paisley, 5 in Leith, and 3 in Dundee. In

Belfast the total number of cases notified up to the presenttime is 185, and there have been 104 deaths. In Dublinthere has been no new case since March 6th ; in all therehave been 15 cases with 11 deaths, and on March 15th therewere four patients under treatment.

THE Department of Public Health of Queensland, ina bulletin dated Feb. 2nd, states that 3 more cases

i of plague have been notified since the date of the. former bulletin, Jan. 26th. Case 16 was inadvertently

i omitted from ’the last bulletin and in proper sequencer of cases from the New Farm area it should ber numbered case 10a. The patient was a female, agedL 14 years, coming from James-street, New Farm, :and

being a sister of patients Nos. 6 and 7 and a daughterof the patient No. 15. She was attacked on Jan. 25thwith bubonic plague and is progressing favourably. The3 cases admitted during the week-viz,, 17, 18, and19-were 3 males, aged respectively 49, 42, and 52

years. They were all attacked between Jan. 24th and26th and were members of the cleansing gang workingin the infected area. They were all employed in removingproduce from Garnett’s Store and probably contracted thedisease from infected dust while engaged in cleansing.During the week two of the patients died. With regard toPort Douglas no further cases have occurred since the lastbulletin. As regards the Mauritius a telegram from theGovernor received at the Colonial Office on March 15th statesthat 1 case of plague was reported during the week endedMarch 14th, and there was 1 death from the disease.

H.R.H. Prince Christian, the Danish Minister, the Portu-guese Minister, the Greek Minister, the Swedish Minister,the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, theArchbishop of Westminster, and the Chief Rabbi will

support H. R. H, the Prince of Wales at a dinner, at which hehas graciously consented to preside, to be held at the HotelCecil on May 14th in aid of the National Sanatorium forWorkers Suffering from Tuberculosis. Mr. Alfred de Roth-schild will kindly lend his band for the occasion.

THE Queen has graciously intimated to the Lord Mayorthat she will open "The Queen’s F6te " in aid of cripplechildren at the Mansion House on Thursday, June 13th.Her Majesty has also consented to receive purses fromchildren on the occasion in behalf of the fund,

THE King has been pleased to appoint Mr. William HenryPower, C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.S., Medical Officer of the LocalGovernment Board, to be chairman of the Royal Commissionon Tuberculosis in the room of Sir Michael Foster, K.C.B.,deceased.

____

THE Pirogoff Society of Russia is agitating for permissionto call a pan-Russian congress of Russian medical men forMay 8th next.

-

Dr. F. M. Sandwith has been elected lecturer in physicin Gresham College in succession to the late Dr. E. Symes-Thompson.

MILITARY MEDICAL VICTIMS TO THE PLAGUE INCRONSTADT.-The Novoe Vpeiitya reports that on March 2ndDr. Schreiber of the llth Eastern Siberian Rifles attached tothe Military Medical Academy, died from plague which hehad contracted in the fort "Emperor Alexander I." atCronstadt. His remains were incinerated and will be keptin an urn at the fort named. It has been found necessaryto state that he was carefully nursed throughout his illness,the contrary having been reported in the press. Unfortu-nately, although it was hoped that the case was an isolatedone, the information is now forthcoming that Dr. Podlevskyof the 3rd Caucasian Rifle Battalion, who was also attachedto the Military Medical Academy and was engaged in theanti-plague serum laboratory in the fort named at Cronstadt,has been attacked by the same disease, presumably, saysthe above journal, whilst conducting the necropsy on thebody of Dr. Schreiber. The latest intelligence from the fortis that Dr. Podlevsky is improving in health ; his tempera-ture was falling and he was fully conscious.